Artificial Intelligence

BJ’s Wholesale Club is knee-deep in a company-wide initiative to add processes that allow it to operate more efficiently.   It has taken a major step by partnering with Glory Global Solutions to roll out cash automation solutions across its 200-plus-club chain. As cash still accounts for around 30% of consumer transactions in the U.S., it remains extremely important to retailer margins. However, the process of moving money is complex.   

Amazon is bolstering end-user cyber-security.   The online giant’s cloud services group quietly acquired cyber security firm harvest.ai, a San Diego-based startup that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze online user behavior, according to TechCrunch.  

Voice-activated technology and connected devices are among the hot tech trends that caught the attention of Target executives at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.   Target posted the faves of some of its executives on a blog on its website. Here’s a sampling:   

The annual consumer electronics trade show (CES) is considered a launch pad for new innovations and technology. One concept garnering attention at this year’s show: in-vehicle digital shopping.   Honda and Visa presented the first proof-of-concept demonstration of in-vehicle payments at this year’s show, held in Las Vegas, Jan. 5-8.   

Amazon’s new service is helping Prime members to get dinner on the table faster.   By integrating Alexa into Amazon Restaurants, the retail giant now enables Prime members to voice-order their next meal through their Alexa-enabled devices, including the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. Customers can place orders from any restaurant available on the service in more than 20 cities by saying, “Alexa, order from Amazon Restaurants.” Any meal they’ve ordered before will delivered to their door for free in an hour or less.

Target Corp. its updating its experimental concept store in San Francisco, Target Open House, which opened in summer 2015 as a showcase for smart, “connected” home technology.    In a blog on its website, Target said Open House has closed for a significant remodel project. It will reopen to the public on Friday, Feb. 10.  

BCBG Max Azria Group leveraged analytics when it realized its static “one-size-fits-all” e-commerce site didn’t optimize the overall shopping experience, or allow it to engage with specific omnichannel shoppers.

With a goal of personalizing the digital experience, and integrating its omnichannel journey as a whole, the women’s fashion brand added an analytics tool from Qubit. By embedding the platform’s JavaScript tags within its web pages, the technology transparently records all customer online interactions, pulling information into the cloud for reporting.

LED options now exist for nearly every lighting application

When it comes to retail operating costs, energy is one of the top three expenses. Lighting is, of course, a component of this, accounting for 50% of energy costs for non-food retailers. The typical retail store spends roughly 71 cents per square foot per year — a cost that quickly adds up at the store and chain level.